Water Garden

Backyard ponds have gone mainstream -- in a big way.Trickling waterfalls, lush waterlilies and exotic fish can be found tucked into a variety of outdoor spaces these days -- from tiny townhouse lots to sprawling suburban acreage.Some homeowners choose to do the work themselves. Others rely on professional landscape architects. Either way, the result is a scenic water garden that brings landlocked residents closer nature."It's taken off by leaps and bounds," says Tim McQuaid, aquatics manager of Valley View Farms in Cockeysville.

We weekend gardeners couldn't do without our convenient, one-stop-shop garden centers; but Maryland's less well-known "boutique" nurseries offer their own eco-pleasures.Some are very small, some are quirky, some specialize in one kind of plant. A few don't advertise or even list themselves in the phone book. They rely on word of mouth. All are fun to visit when you have time to linger.These specialty nurseries aren't all-purpose. You won't find mulch and gardening gloves and a faux marble cherub and 20 different kinds of impatiens.

Q. While watering my azaleas this summer I've noticed small, white, fuzzy things sitting at the spot where the twigs are joined. Recently, I've seen a strange black coating on some leaves. What's going on? Is this cause for alarm?A. Those fuzzy things are the egg sacs of azalea bark scale. Tiny nymphs left the egg sacs in June and then began feeding on your azalea leaves. The black coating is sooty mold, a harmless fungus that grows on the plant sap excreted by the scale.If you see a large number of egg sacs and if there is leaf yellowing, spray your azaleas with a dormant oil this fall to kill overwintering nymphs.

Around the house* Having an outdoor party? Use a flat or fitted sheet as a cover for your picnic table. Mismatched tables can also be covered with sheets in coordinating colors and prints.* Place small kitchen utensils in dishwasher inside net bags from produce. Items won't fall through racks.* Prevent red stains on plastic storage containers. Spray with vegetable oil before storing tomato sauces.* When rolling out dough, cover countertop with a sheet of waxed paper that is secured with a few drops of water; cleanup will be simple.

Late summer or early fall is a great time to visit the woods or countryside to see wildlife. But you don't have to go on a long trip to see nature. There are ways to encourage it right in your own back yard.Maybe you're already feeding the birds. If not, put up a feederAdd a birdbath or saucer filled with water, changing the water often so it's always fresh. Maybe your family could build a water garden or pond and stock it with fish, aquatic plants, tadpoles or frogs and snails.Whenever you make water available, insects, birds and othecreatures will come visit.

The Hatton-Regester Green next to the B&A Trail Park in Severna Park will be dedicated May 2 with the help of Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens.The 1.5-acre green at the Old Severna Park railroad station is the culmination of more than two years of work by the Friends of the B&A Trail Park, which designed it, got it approved by the county and raised the money to pay for it.The organization is turning over the green with its tree-shaded pathway, thematic gardens, gazebo and water garden to the superintendent of the B&A Trail Park.

A broken water main that temporarily shut down a portion of York Road continued last night to affect traffic in the Cockeysville area. The early morning break closed York Road in Cockeysville from Wight Avenue to Beaver Run Lane, and traffic was detoured. One lane of the road was reopened during the afternoon to northbound traffic, but other lanes remained closed as repair work continued into the night. Officials said they were hoping to open one side of the road to two-way traffic. The 12-inch water main in the 11000 block of York Road broke about 3 a.m. yesterday, Baltimore public works officials said.

If you're yearning to surround yourself with the bright colors of Provence or the quaint charm of old Paris, the Walters Art Museum can help. Accompanying its current impressionism exhibit is a shop featuring a collection of items ready to bring the spirit of France into your home. There are yellow and blue French provincial canisters, quiche dishes, souffle dishes and teapots, shop signs from Paris, French-inspired flowerpots, containers and table linens and other items. Prices for ceramics range from $19 to $90, signs range from $66 to $186, and linens are priced from $6 to $75. The impressionism shop, which accompanies "The Age of Impressionism: European Masterpieces from Ordrupgaard, Copenhagen," will remain open through May 26, when the exhibition closes.

EARLY ONE spring day, I went out to water my garden. As I approached the curled-up black hose, I noticed that it looked rather strange. Closer inspection revealed a large black snake draped over the hose.It was no surprise to see a black snake in the yard. They are "good" snakes and I leave them alone so long as they are not in the way or causing problems. Once we even had a five-footer in the basement near the laundry tub. I left it alone on the theory that if it got in by itself, it could crawl out by itself.

September marks return of magazineNo other shelter magazine offered quite the glossy, voyeuristic pleasures of House & Garden. When it folded in 1993, devoted readers found there was nothing to take its place. But they can take heart -- with the September issue, the magazine will be back on the newsstands. It's being published by Conde Naste, with a whole new editorial staff.How-to clinicsDo-it-yourselfers, take note. Hechinger is offering free, hands-on clinics in June. Here's the schedule: June 13, 7 p.m., "Using Pool Chemicals"; June 15, 10 a.m., "Designing and Building a Water Garden"; June 20, 7 p.m., "How to Install a Water Heater"; June 22, 10 a.m., "Designing and Installing an Automatic Sprinkler System"; June 27, 7 p.m., "How to Install a Ceiling Fan"; June 29, 10 a.m., "Putting up a New Wooden Fence."